3. Biography/CV

BIOGRAPHY

I was born in Coleraine and educated in Belfast. I hold degrees in physics from Queen’s University, Belfast. I was Professor of Physics in Trinity College, Dublin until retirement in 2013. I am now Fellow Emeritus at Trinity.

I have published three collections of poetry with Dedalus Press, ‘The King of Suburbia’ in 2005, ‘Safe House’ in 2010 and ‘The Eyes of Isaac Newton’ in 2017. A poetic biography of the 19th century Irish mathematician, ‘A Mystic Dream of 4’, was published by Quaternia Press in 2013. ‘The King of Suburbia’ won the inaugural Glen Dimplex New Writers Award for Poetry. Other awards include the Hennessy Award for Poetry and The Ireland Chair of Poetry Bursary. I have presented my poetry at writers’ festivals in Ireland, the United Kingdom, Europe, North America and Australasia.

My poetry is characterised by form & rhyme and humour; it also reflects my professional career as a physicist. I am interested in the common ground between Science and Literature and have written and lectured on this theme.